Is Australia a Racist Country?

I recently came across this news item that I found laughable.   It seems a 12 year old indigenous boy has been arrested from his school and charged with receiving a stolen seventy cent Freddo Frog.   According to police,&nbap the lad had been spoken to on previous occasions but had no previous criminal convictions.   As absurd as this story appears,  the underlying connotations give a clue as to the extent that racism exists in this country today.   In order to set the scene more fully I will give a very brief history of Britain's occupation of the land that was to become Australia.

The first fleet arrived at Botany Bay on the 26th January 1788.  The settlement that eventually grew to become the modern day city we call Sydney was initially a penal colony.   A dropping off point for Britain's "undesirables".   In order for Britain to occupy the land Australia was described to Europe as beingTerra Nullis (A land belonging to no one),  even though at the time the land was populated by an estimated 300,000 indigenous peoples,  who had occupied it for 30,000 years.   Although there was no immediate problems between the old and new occupiers,  it wasn't too long before conflict broke out (for a documented time line check out this site).

Ever since those early encounters there has been an underlying current of discontent between the two peoples.   It is not surprising really considering the interaction between the two has been one of master and slave rather than that of equals.   White Europeans have always considered themselves the superior race in this country to the extent that there was a "White Australia" policy through to 1973.   Although officially that has changed,  the minds of a large minority of the population has not.   Non-white migrants in Australia have generally been treated with suspicion and some face a difficult time settling.   Maybe because of this,  they tend to live in close proximity to others from a similar cultural background.   This is seen by some as being stand-offish and is often used to point out their unwillingness to "integrate".   The irony of this is that European emigrants and indeed Australians themselves unconsciously do the very same thing.   You will find pockets of Greek, Italian, English,  to name a few,  communities throughout the length and breadth of Australia.   Italian and Greek migrants,  in particular,  most likely appreciate the opening up of Australia to people of Asian descent,  as prior to 1973 they were the recipients of much discrimination themselves and even today get their fair share.   Since September 11 2001,  the Asian community have gained some relief;  the new target being people from Arabic speaking countries.

Of course it matters little to Australian aboriginals,  who remain a target of discrimination not only from Australians but also from the very same migrants that are being discriminated against.   A culture of racial discrimination has developed from the early convict penal days through to modern day Australia.   Had the young boy mentioned at the top of the post been a white Australian there would have been no arrest, no charges and no story.

A short list of sites highlighting some of the less extreme right wing groups posing as concerned Australians with their country at heart.   The more extreme groups,   are too sickening to list here.   If they interest you I suggest you seek them out yourself,  I have no intentions of sending readers their way.
Australian News Commentary
One Nation
Australia First
National Front Australia
This is a blog that hides under the umbrella of a bonafide Australian newspaper.
Sydney Morning Herald